It is important to remember that if you experience pain when wearing your contacts, it is not normal, and may be a sign that something isn’t right.  If you are a first-time wearer or changing to a different prescription of contact lenses, you may feel a slight discomfort when you first wear them. This is merely your eyes adjusting to the new lens, and should subside relatively quick. It is when your discomfort is long-lasting or you are feeling sharp pain that calls for attention. Contacts are meant to hug your eyes, making for a comfortable fit, and after acclimation, you shouldn’t even notice you are wearing any. Eye discomfort could mean something that is easy to fix, or something a bit more serious. Listed below we will go through some of the causes of why your contact lenses may be causing you grief, and how to fix them. If you are experiencing extreme pain, give your lenses a rest, and make your way to see your eye doctor.

1. Your contact lens is dirty

One of the most common causes of pain caused from contacts is from a dirty lens. This could be as simple as some dust, soap, or an eyelash making its way into your contact. Upon first sign of pain, remove your contact instantly and inspect it on your finger. If your lens is torn or there is something obvious stuck to the surface, throw it away and replace with a new contact. If there isn’t anything you can see, give it a wash with solution and try again. Make sure your lens is also placed the correct way, as putting a lens in backwards can cause eye discomfort. If you still have pain after rinsing your lens, it would be time to part ways and try a fresh one.

2. Your eyes are dry

Another common cause of eye discomfort is dry eyes. This can happen when wearing contacts due to the thin layer of the lens material limiting the oxygen flow to your eyes. Without oxygen, you cannot naturally produce tears which in turn can dry out your eyes and cause irritation. Dry eyes can also be caused from external factors like smoke or extended screen time. Thankfully, dry eyes are easy to resolve, and for the most part a lubricating eye drop will do the trick. When choosing an eye drop, make sure they are compatible to use with contact lenses as some can be too thick and stick to your lens. When applying eye drops to your eyes, almost always remove your contacts beforehand, and wait a little while before putting them back in again.

3. Your contacts do not fit properly

Our eyes are all different and there is not one lens that fits all. Many factors such as size, shape, and lens material could affect the comfort of your eyes. A lens that does not fit your eye properly can make your eyes hurt and lead to serious problems with your vision. Always make sure you buy lenses that are suited to your eye. It may take trailing a few different lenses to find the right fit and material that feels comfortable on your eyes, but this will save problems with your eyes in the future.

4. You have eye allergies

Allergies like seasonal changes is a common cause as to why your eyes may feel inflamed and sore. Simple treatment to allergies caused by pollen includes taking antihistamines which should reduce the inflammation and pain. In some cases, the material of the lens or the cleaning solution can cause hypersensitivity- a reaction to your eyes which can result in burning, swelling, and discomfort. In cases of this, a trip to your eye doctor is warranted. Another hypersensitivity called giant papillary conjunctivitis- a common condition among contact wearers, is when the blood vessels in your eye becomes inflamed causing red, painful, and itchy eyes. This can be a side effect of the lens rubbing against the eyelid, a foreign substance on the contact lens, or be brought on by your seasonal allergies. In any case, if left untreated this can lead to serious damage to your eye and needs to be addressed professionally.

5. You are leaving your lenses in overnight

Unless specified, most lenses are to be taken out before bed. If you happen to forget, this can lead to painful eyes and increased chances of infection. For lenses that are deemed safe to wear overnight, they too, may cause dry, red, and sore eyes as your eyes adjust to wearing them throughout the night. Extended wear contacts are not for everyone, as some people find their eyes becoming irritated and sore, and therefore cannot take wearing contacts for overnight periods.

6. Something scratched your eye

Our eyes can be very sensitive, and corneal abrasions can be easily caused by any substance entering and scratching our eyes. This is why it is important to keep your nails short when applying and removing contacts as it can increase your chances of damaging your cornea. The same can be said for contact lenses themselves- if your eyes are dry, you wear for extended periods, or the lens is damaged, they can elevate the chance of your lens scratching your eye. If your eyes already have an existing abrasion, the use of contacts can further aggravate the problem. The good news is corneal abrasions normally take up to two days to heal, and taking a short rest from your contacts whilst rinsing your eye with saline should help to heal and wash out any debris that is residing there.

7. You have an eye infection

An obvious cause for painful eyes is an eye infection. This could be due to your lenses being worn for too long or not cared for properly. Sometimes your eyes can be infected for reasons unrelated to contacts, yet wearing contacts with an eye infection is extremely painful. In this case, remove your contacts immediately, and any lens that has come into contact with the infected eye is to be disposed of. Make an appointment with your doctor to help clear up your eye infection as if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage to your eye.

8. You are not replacing your contacts after the designed wearing period

Whether you have weeklies, bi-weeklies, monthlies, or yearly lenses, it is imperative that you change them according to your type of lens. This also applies if you have a box of lenses that you have not yet used but the box expiry date has lapsed. Never wear your contacts after the expiry or for longer than required, even if unopened, as this can leave your eyes susceptible to discomfort and infection. If your contacts are damaged or causing you pain, they are to be disposed of immediately, regardless if they are within their expiry.